Men's recovery home relying on faith, evidence-based practices and community

Representatives and members of the Next Steps Recovery Home board, the Dubois County Community Foundation and Behind the Wire Ministries celebrated the upcoming opening of the men’s recovery home at 2603 Brosmer Street.

James Stone and Tony Grannan can’t wait to begin working with men in the Next Steps Recovery home on Brosmer Street.

“Be open,” Stone said when asked what message he wanted the community and neighbors to hear about Dubois County’s first men’s recovery home.

“They’re gonna see God working through us,” Grannan added. “That is the game changer. It’s not anything we are doing on our own. It’s all from the good Lord. He is working through us, and that is the light that is going to shine.”

The two men who grew up in Daviess County running in similar circles have graduated from the evidence- and faith-based certified recovery program through Behind the Wire Ministries in Loogootee. Now, they will be helping men along a similar path through the Next Steps Recovery Home when it officially opens on December 1.

The pair credit their recovery to Behind the Wire and the dedication of the staff and founders, Scott and Dannielle Highberger.

James said he struggled with addiction for 29 years of his life and has been sober for four years. He had been through several recovery programs before being accepted into Behind the Wire. With those previous recovery program experiences weighing on his mind, he admitted he didn’t think it would be any different at the Loogootee center.

“When I first got there, Scott (Highberger) come (sic) up to me and said, ‘I’m here with you,'” James said.

Still, he was skeptical. “But as I transitioned along, oh my gosh, they were there,” he said. “They helped me through my emotional problems and my recovery. They are right there with you.”

This dedication and success are what drew the board of Next Steps Recovery and the Dubois County Community Foundation to reach out for a potential partnership.

*Dannielle Highberger, Behind the Wire co-founder, and board member Bobi Street relaxed in the newly renovated living room while waiting for the ceremony to begin.*

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday, Next Steps President Damian Holsworth noted that several years ago, Craig Greulich and Joe Crutchfield began discussing bringing a men’s recovery home to Dubois County. As the Dubois County Community Foundation helped facilitate talks and partnerships to address recovery and mental health, a group of volunteers coalesced around Next Steps Recovery Home and began working toward the men’s home.

The process of creating the home and necessary programming has been difficult. During the first board meeting, the Next Steps group included in the minutes a six-month goal of establishing the first men’s recovery home in Dubois County.

However, balancing the concerns–and, at times, anger–of potential neighbors to the planned recovery home with creating a successful program slowed the group’s efforts by several years.

Earlier this year, though, the group working through realtor Dara O’Neil was able to move forward with purchasing and renovating a home on Brosmer Street to become the next step for men seeking recovery.

*Community Foundation Director of Grantmaking Kevin Smith took a closer look at some artwork in a sitting room between the two upstairs bedrooms of the Brosmer Street home.*

Then, a referral to contact Behind the Wire Ministries for the programming led to an expanded partnership to accelerate the home’s opening.

According to Highberger, this expansion continues Behind the Wire Ministries’ mission to become one organization providing addiction recovery services in multiple locations. “I think that for a community to invite us in to be part of the first (men’s recovery home) is a huge compliment to the work that is being done in Loogootee and through our organization,” He said. “We feel really fortunate to be part of these partnerships, and they are going to help us reach that goal of really helping people in multiple locations.”

Next Steps Recovery Home will own the home at 2603 Brosmer Street, while Behind the Wire Ministries provides onsite supervision through Mr. Stone and Mr. Grannan. Additionally, phone-accessible cameras monitor the interior of the home and staff from Behind the Wire will be visiting regularly.

Up to five men can be housed in the residence as they work through the second and third stages of the recovery program with Behind the Wire Ministries. There is an application and screening process for each applicant, and once accepted, participants will begin their stage one treatment at Loogootee for their first 45 days.

Only after completing this first stage will the men proceed to the Next Steps Recovery Home.

Highberger pointed out that not everyone who enters the 45-day first stage will continue to the second and third stages due to the hard work it entails.

“If they are going to land here, they’ve went through a very challenging 45 days to get here,” he said.

*Women from the Dover Recovery Home attended in support of the new men’s recovery home. Multiple local companies donated furniture throughout the home.*

This is the second recovery home established in Dubois County. Almost exactly one year ago, the Dove Recovery House for Women opened on Knust Street in Jasper. Since then, the 15-bed facility has served 117 women, providing them with a place to live and a supportive community while they’ve gone through evidenced-based therapy addressing addiction and mental health.

Both homes received support from a $4.4 million Large-Scale Community Leadership Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative. The foundation was able to dedicate $450,000 to the Brosmer Street house’s purchase, renovation and continued upkeep.

The Next Steps Recovery Home will be available for men working or living in the county. It is the first of what is expected to grow to more locations in Dubois County as the Community Foundation and its community partners continue addressing mental health and addiction here.

The Next Steps Recovery Home supervisors, Grannan and Stone, work at Jasper Engines and Transmissions. They both feel blessed to be part of the company’s culture, a feeling they say was confirmed when a recent company-wide meeting began with prayer.

Seeing their faith–a faith they both credit for their recovery–on display in a Dubois County company affirmed their decision to help men in the new recovery home.

“We’re excited for the community to see what God’s doing in their community and be His hands and His feet in this facility,” Grannan said.